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Azerbaijani Media Names Russian Commander Linked to Passenger Plane Crash
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![Photo of Liubava Petriv]( "Photo of Liubava Petriv")
On July 22, Azerbaijani journalists identified a Russian officer allegedly responsible for shooting down an Embraer ERJ-190 passenger plane last December near Aktau, Kazakhstan, as the Azerbaijan Airlines flight approached Russian airspace.
According to local outlet Minval Politika, Captain Dmitry Sergeyevich Paladichuk, commander of crew No. 274 of the Pantsir-S1 air defense system, has been named in connection with the incident. He serves in the 1st division of the 80th anti-aircraft missile regiment of the 14th Army’s mobile reserve.
Despite over seven months having passed since the tragedy, none of those involved have faced punishment.
Minval Politika published audio recordings and documents that were anonymously sent to their newsroom on July 1. The materials include an internal statement allegedly from a Russian air defense officer, along with audio and video files that suggest direct orders were given to engage the aircraft.
The officer reportedly wrote:
“I reported updated coordinates: α = 338 degrees, D = 7000 m, H = 490 m, V = 118 m/s, heading 230 degrees. I was given the order by phone to destroy the target.”
He also noted difficulties in visually identifying the plane due to weather conditions:
“The target was not visible through optics due to very dense fog, which I reported to command.”
The recordings, which Minval Politika considers authentic, include three voice messages confirming that two missiles were fired at the aircraft:
“All three voices stated they gave the operational command, fired twice, and that missile shrapnel hit the aircraft.”
Earlier, it was reported that Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev confirmed that Azerbaijan is preparing to take legal action against Russia in international courts over the crash of an AZAL plane near Aktau.
